Resume Temlates

So here are a few template ideas that I had prepared for last Tuesday. The first design with the blue, leafy border was too bold, too clashing, to be considered.  

I felt that a mixture between the two would make a better design, but they needed a small sketch closer to the ID board that I made.  

So I began sketching and here are a few early ideas. I like the feel of the idea on the left, but the addition of blue into the sketch add too much to the visuals.

Finally, a basic concept idea. I also attempted to incorporate a hand written font style I found for my name. I feel that even though it is very different from the rest of the resume, it has a nice looseness that helps the flow.

Visual ID

After browsing through the images I collected for the mood board, I simplified them into categories.  And from there I simplified to elements that occurred the most.  Using these elements that I reduced to, I created a "visual ID" for me. Things that are the most likely to occur within my work, due to their visual interest to me.

Though my mood board did not contain many specific "colors," it contained objects whose color appealed to me. From those objects I identified the "color" that was appealing. 

~EDIT~

During the critique in class, some people were expecting more earth tones in my color choices. They were also expecting colors with greater color saturation. Though I didn't add more saturated colors, I did add a few text options and more earth tones to even out the colors.

First Job in Illu

Quite honestly I have no idea where I want to be after completing this degree.  I might like to do some animating, or maybe children's books, or maybe I'll just make comics.  Because this is the first semester of my second year at this I haven't experienced enough to make the judgement.  I might be able to make this decision in a year and a half, the end of the third year of the program.  

This might seem like a copout answer, but I feel that right now I am not learning what those experiences might be.  So far the classes I have been taking are simple technical courses that are intending to show that I have the talent to be worth teaching this field.   

Full Mood Board

Here is my completed Mood Board. Again, starting from top to bottom left to right, but with a little explanation for each image. Due to the length of the post, it might be best to open a second window to keep the image in view while reading the summaries.


Row One--------
Sunflowers: Oil painting I made for my sister.  She requested a sunflower painting, I improvised the clouds from a photo I found online.

Sculpture Ink Drawing: Drawing I made, based on a real sculpture located at the Nelson Atkins Art Museum. I enjoy the feel of the image. The sculpture is a minimalist, asian piece and I feel I captured the same feeling in my drawing.

Art Deco Text: I enjoy the sharp points and how they interact with the smoothed curves of other letters.

Art Deco Travel Poster: In this found image I enjoy the lack of sharp, black outlines.  Furthermore I appreciate the minimalist aspects.

Captain America comic panel: Almost in stark contrast to the previous image, the dark blacks are almost overwhelming.  However the use of blacks is used to navigate the eye  through the image giving the allusion of movement.

Jack Kirby monsters: This image I included for the shapes, shades and line work.  Kirby's work has little tonal values, instead opting for sudden, heavy, black shadows. I feel the contrast between bright color to sudden thick blacks inspiring.

KU Campus Sunrise: This photo I took during the spring of 2014. I used photoshop for a slight exaggeration of color, and to completely black out the buildings.

Zen Pencil Drawing: I sketched this image while studying the Japanese Zen painting tradition.

Spencer Landing 2013: I took this photo in the fall of 2013.  I enjoyed the contrast between the blue rocks, and the red, white leaves.



Row Two--------
Tool-Scorpion Drawing: Drawing I created demonstrating a tool becoming an animal.  I felt the tool, especially the hook, made be envision a scorpion.

Jack Kirby technology: Another Jack Kirby design that uses similar use of blacks.  However, in contrast to his monsters, living things, his technology is rounded, curved, is weird abstract ways.

Found Photo: This photo has a nice set of natural colors that I enjoy.

Fall Landscape: Oil painting I made for my mother. She had found a photo that she enjoyed and asked me to paint it for her.

Pascal Ferry Mr. Miracle cover: I cannot truly explain what I like about Mr. Ferry's work. I like his arrangements of colors, his line work, and his tendency to wash out his colors. Maybe its the intensity of his work I like?

Found Photo: I like the relationship that is established in the image, it juxtaposes nature reclaiming land within a church.

Alphose Mucha Dancer: I'm a big fan of Mucha's work. He uses elegant smooth curves to create unreal imagery.

Art Nouveau Text: I'm such a big fan of Mucha's style that I like text styles that evoke his curved style.

Paper Lantern: Paper lantern I created. I'm particularly proud of the light  emitting from the rectangle panels. By using a combination of hexagons on the inside, taped to water soaked paper I created odd and appealing imagery.

Found Photo: This photo almost recalls M.C. Escher's work to me. The use of color on the bottom side of the steps gives a hallucinatory effect, almost as though one was falling.

Row Three--------
Found Photo: The colors and how the unnatural shapes interact with the cold, sharpness of the mountains intrigues me.

Mass Street Photo: I took this photo, late November-early December a few years ago. I liked the relationship between the lights and the people as they walked.

Cloud Photo: In this photo, I felt that the sky had an odd unusual texture that intrigued me. It wasn't a massive storm, at least at the time, but still felt ominous.

Model Drawing: After experiencing a life drawing class, I felt that it would be in my best interest to keep practicing.

Art Deco Shapes: I enjoy the relationships between sharp points, and curved shapes.

Vanaheim (Norse) Text: I like how this text feels.  It makes me think of old stories, or things that were important once and were lost.

David Aja Iron Fist page: The way this page moves is genius to me. The panels in the second row are read in reverse, but this fact was completely lost on me when I first saw it. Not only does part of the page read backward, but the page never shifts focus from the background.

Found Photo: This image shows a massive gear, with other massive machinery.  I like the implications of machines that have a massive scale, that slowly become little pieces.

Alternate Art Nouveau Text: Similarly to the other Art Nouveau text, I like the curves of this text.  In contrast though, this text exaggerates strait lines and curves. The text is so stylized that it almost loses meaning as a text.


Row Four--------

Japanese Painting: I like the abstractness of the image and the limited palate. The dark of the blue and the bright pop of red in certain locations appeals to me.

Hummingbird Painting: Oil painting I created. I like the curves and energy of the piece.

Nervous System Diagram: This image shows how the human body reacts to certain emotions.  The brighter the color the greater the reaction.

Found Photo: The way light bleeds through the spiraling smoke (?) interests me. It also gives a nice evolution of color in the background as the smoke takes the color through the entire image.

Dyche Hall Ink Drawing: Ink drawing of a building on KU campus that I made.  The implied details of the stones were really effective in my opinion.

Found Photo: This photo of a painted model is interesting.  While she is nude I can also appreciate other aspects of the image.  The pale blue, with dark orange highlights really make the visual pop.  I also enjoy the thought of representing attributes of animals on other objects.

Pen Drawing: While creating this image I attempted to exaggerate certain aspects of my classmate. Because I was using a pen I had to plan at least a bit of what needed to be there, and what I could fudge.

Found Photo: This image is of Hashima Island, also known as battleship island.  This island in Japan was once the densest population on earth before being abandoned.  Towering buildings of concrete waiting to fall.


Row Five--------
Jack Kirby Motherbox: Another piece by Kirby, though I could have replaced the other machinery piece, this one has simplified his work.  This piece is a symmetrical work of technology that implies greater meaning with the background of stars and planets.

Graffiti Photo: While walking down a staircase I saw this little guy poking his head above the railing.  I loved the relationship he implied, as he looks out form behind the railing.

Artificial Heart:  I like the complexity and the meaning this represents.  The person who created this might think of the Wizard of Oz, he can give a heart to one without one, interesting context. I also like the way the light and colors interact.

Grand Canyon: Collage of images I took at the Grand Canyon.  I had arrived after a snowstorm and was able to have a range of whites to add to the depth of the canyon.

Swirling Coffee Photo: Swirling of creamer added to a cup of coffee was interesting enough for me to take a photo of it.

Tailight: I was inspired to create this oil painting while viewing a minivan's tail light.

Map of Known Universe: This image shows the universe as humanity knew it, three years or so ago.  For reference the Milky Way is approximately 8-9 o'clock on the blue ring.

Strong Toad Drawing: This drawing began as a story about an imaginary animal. It was described in the story that allowed for many interpretations, and this is mine.

Found Photo: I included this photo because of the color relationship between the colors of pink and the dark, almost blacks of the tree limbs.

Yggdrasil, Hanza Drawing: I created this drawing after reading about various "magical" symbols.  This sketch attempted to incorporate a few together.  The tree represents the world tree, many cultures have myths theorizing the universe as a tree. Behind it has a hand-esque shape, called Hanza, it is a symbol of protection.  Finally in the roots of the tree, I drew the all-seeing-eye.  So the symbol represents a protection for a constant vigilance of reality.


Row Six--------
New Year's Day Photo: This photo was taken around 4 am on the first day of 2012. I like how the colors blended, orange to hints of green before becoming blue.

Found Photo: The face off between a bird and a praying mantis fascinates me.  Perhaps it is the action between two species that shows an sharp, clear contrast of power?

Pascal Ferry Thor cover: This example of Ferry's work might be a clearer explanation for why I like his work.  His shapes interweave amongst themselves while maintaining sharp edges before they break apart.

Sunrise Painting: While creating this oil painting, I was attempting to show bright colorful imagery, with hints of abstraction.

Life Model Movement Drawing: With this exercise I attempted to draw a model many times, as they moved from position to position.  I like how it takes time to focus on one figure before it becomes clear what the image is.

Found Photo: I find the symmetrical complexity appealing in this image.

Found Photo: This poor girl has a multiple piercings that are spaced out in a way that creates a corset effect.  I find the relationship between what the representation woven laces on something naturally without lace interesting.

Moon Grab Photo: This photo was inspired by a full moon, while I happened to be standing behind a car with brake lights on.

Girl Ink Drawing: This ink drawing was created using an eraser to make marks.

Found Photo: In the image one sees golden globes almost silhouetted on a field of dark blue.  The image takes a different meaning when its understood that these are semi-transparent igloos, and the glow is a roaring fire.

Found Photo: Taken from an automotive website, this image shows the color that I routinely enjoy the most;  a dark, metallic blue.

In Progress - Mood Board

So I've been assigned a "mood board" project. I'm trying to approach the project as things that inspire me, which is what the assignment is. I find this project particularly challenging due to the nature of objects expected to be included, however.

I'm supposed to include: type faces, color, textures, pattern, shapes and objects/images. I can easily do images, possibly shapes, but due to the nature of what inspires me the remainder of the objects are difficult to find.

I enjoy deep thoughts, complex ideas, those don't have design elements besides how I create them. I am inspired by shapes, colors and textures that have been applied.  It feels as though I'm being asked to express what inspires me, while being handicapped from expressing what it is.

Type faces are not particularly interesting, I've found a few that are interesting, but I cannot say that I've ever been inspired by them.  Similarly, textures are an aspect that I see more as filler ideas. Ideas that round out a larger more complete idea.

As for shapes I included a few art deco, art nouveau, pieces I like.

Might be a hunt for inspiration...

From left to right, top to down: 

My Painting, my ink drawing, art deco text, art deco new york poster, Steve Epting - Captian America, Jack Kirby - monsters, my photo, my sketch.

Jack Kirby - machines, found cabin photo, my painting, Pascal Ferry - Mr. Miracle, found nature photo, Alphonse Mucha - Dancer, art nouveau text, my paper lantern, found spiral staircase photo.

My sketch, art deco shapes, Vanaheim - norse inspired text, David Aja - Iron Fist page, found photo 1800's machinery, swirling art nouveau text.

Business Cards

While searching the internet for interesting business card ideas, I found that I preferred "cards" that were not super literal. The cards that interested me were ones that moved, had some sort of use, or destroyed the nature of what a card should be.

Examples such as cards that turn into monsters, cards that double as playing cards, theater 

ticket-esque cards. Or cards that are plastic bricks, clothes pins, or peanuts. Things that don't feel like business cards, while having all of the important information.

10 Best Ideas

After learning that I had the option of reworking my ideas simply by reworking font choice, my work load was cut considerably. Which was considerably easier than attempting to think up radically, new ideas.

The following are the 10 best results of my ideas.

Text Representation

Using my prior answer for the use and value of research, audience and context for visual communication I am attempting to create an interesting visual design.  

I defined research as: what is being shown and relationships the imagery has.

I defined audience as: who is viewing shown imagery and relationships the between 

the imagery, the viewer and their culture.

And I defined context as: how imagery is interpreted by the viewer based on 

relationships the between the imagery, the viewer and the creator.

By using bold text on specific words I felt that I could create quick word phrases could be read quickly.  The critiques of my presentation concurred with my expectations.

Using primarily the select bolded words I began experimenting. I began with experimenting with hand written letters to give a less digital feel to the work.

I used a few of the stencil letters incorporated with text to create.

While working on the image on the right I began to feel as though the design was mimicking the U.S. flag. I felt that it was worth experimenting with different contrasting values to highlight this aspect.

This final image I felt like experimenting with the concept that people can read rearranged words just as long as the first and last letters remain in place.  Here's a link to the study on this idea. http://www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk/people/matt.davis/cmabridge/

I've also been looking over this website for more ideas, http://www.microsoft.com/typography/ctfonts/WordRecognition.aspx.